First timers at CSA...wait to visit CN another time?

We will be staying at CSA in late July. Our first AI...really our first trip without our three kids. Our main goal is to relax and have some quality time together but we think we'll do a few activities or excursions during the week. I signed up for Romance Rewards and I'm just wondering if you recommend swapping/visiting CN one day during our stay or if you recommend waiting for a future trip. I'd love to see the other resort but I also want to feel like we have plenty of time at CSA. We'll be there for 7 nights...6 full days since the first and last will be traveling. Thanks!

My husband and I had planned to go to CN using Trading Places last December (also our first trip to CSA but we have done AIs in Mexico before). We loved CSA so much that by the time the day rolled around that we had allotted for the day trip to CN we didn't want to leave CSA. I didn't want to waste one precious second of my time at CSA even though I know I could have gotten a cab back from CN if I did not want to stay. We also had a 7 night stay.

We're headed back to CSA in December again and we are also talking again about visiting CN one day while we are there but I am leaving this completely open to how we feel.

Just a suggestion...don't get caught up trying to micro-manage your time. It was very freeing to know that I didn't have to be anywhere at any specific time (for the most part) while there. You may think you want to do excursions and maybe you will and maybe you won't but you may find that just being at the resort is all you need.

If I were you, I would just play it by ear and see how you are enjoying the resort. If you have any kind of experience like we did last year at CSA, you will feel "complete" by just being at CSA with your love.

Yes, I would say make the trip over to see Couples Negril. It's a 5 minute ride and worth seeing to make a comparison. If you want to leave early grab a cab or sometimes the shuttle will be making a delivery to CSA and you can catch a ride back. Couples Negril was the one we tried first. It was wonderful. But now we love CSA and CSS. Hard to choose a favorite. Check out CN while you're there. You'll be glad you got to see another Couples property. You are in for a treat at CSA! Enjoy...
Trip # 3 to CSA July 31-Aug. 7th. When will you be there?

Since you are staying at CSA for a week, you could easily do the trading places to CN without feeling like you're missing anything. It's a relaxing day at a home away from home. And if you really find you're not enjoying yourselves, you can always take a cab back to CSA early. We did trading places to CN a few years ago, and the day seemed like it just flew by (could have been all of the rum punches that we drank, though).

When we went for the first time to CN, we were faced with the same issue. In the end, sand gravity won. We did a variety of excursions and watersports when we were there from the glass bottom boat ride, to the Catamaran cruise and shopping trip. We also took a cab and visited Rick's cafe. Aside from the beach parties and dinners, we just didn't find time to do trading places at CSA. However, now that we will be going back to CN in two weeks, my husband and I will definitely be doing trading places at CSA. The only excursion we plan on doing back at CN is the Catamaran cruise (which was amazing) and we will be doing the One Love Crawl Bus Tour. We plan on just lounging about and trying not to do so much this time and really enjoy CN. I am excited for trading place this time around because we have just booked our first trip to CSA April 2014 and I'm excited to get a quick glimpse of what we can expect next year!!
All in all, I'd say wait and try not to plan too much. Decide while you are there. For us, there was just too much to do around the resort the first time around and CN is definitely a lot smaller than CSA. Who knows, maybe sand gravity will get you too! Enjoy!

I know those days are precious! Speaking for my wife and I, we would opt for the opportunity to see CN. Not because I think it's better, but because it is just a few hours, basically, and if you don't you'll always wonder if you should have. Some people prefer it to CSA, and if you're one of them, wouldn't you rather find out right away? They are both fantastic resorts, so if you get a chance to preview one at no charge to you.....? To me it's an easy answer. Take advantage of your opportunities.

My wife and I were just out at CN a month ago. It was our first time at an AI also. We loved every second of the trip, including our visit to CSA. They are two very different resorts, mostly because of their layouts. Everything at CN is very centrally located, where CSA is a lot bigger and more spread out. One of our favorite parts of the trip was walking the beaches. CN is in a smaller bay, Bloody Bay, and you can easily walk up and down the entire beach. CSA is located on Long Bay, and it is very much bigger. When walking up and down the beach you start to pass a lot more smaller restaurants and hotels and stores. Maybe a little more authentic Jamaica, if you want to think of it that way. My wife really loves CN, where I would like to take a full vacation to CSA now. As Iriemon just stated, it is definately worth the time to visit the other resort.

We've been to CSA 9 times, and for the last 5 times we've vowed ahead of time to take advantage of the Trading Places program.....But, we've never done it....We get too comfy, and then wonder why we'd trade a day in our version of paradise, with the ability to return to our comfy room if we get too hot or uncomfortable, with the ability to tour another resort and be wedded to their environment until the bus comes to pick us up....Of course you can order up a cab if you get bored after an hour or so, but we just love CSA so much that we can't muster up the enthusiasm to go to CN. Maybe some day.....Only you can know if you have the energy to battle the CSA sand gravity to explore somewhere different....It's easy to do, if you're of the mindset!!

I would go!

Originally Posted by Stolly

We will be staying at CSA in late July. Our first AI...really our first trip without our three kids. Our main goal is to relax and have some quality time together but we think we'll do a few activities or excursions during the week. I signed up for Romance Rewards and I'm just wondering if you recommend swapping/visiting CN one day during our stay or if you recommend waiting for a future trip. I'd love to see the other resort but I also want to feel like we have plenty of time at CSA. We'll be there for 7 nights...6 full days since the first and last will be traveling. Thanks!

We went to CN in 2009, and we are going back for our 5th anniversary in 2014. We loved CN and are really looking forward to going back!! This year, we went to CSS and met a couple that had been to CSA a couple times. They loved CSA and will go back again, but the one thing they mentioned they didn't like about CSA is that the windows don't have any glass in them, they're just shutters, so you hear everything from neighboring rooms, and they can hear you. They said they got use to it, and still love CSA for many other reasons, but they hadn't been to CN yet. Everything is centrally located a CN, as mentioned before, and if you like the layout of the resort, you may find you book at CN next time, especially if you end up wanting more privacy. I highly recommend the day trip to CN. Next time we're at CN, we've decided we'll check out CSA.

It is interesting that one resort or the other really "hits the spot" with each individual. We were avid CSA fans (6 visits) and did do the trading places to CN, but did not really soak it all in. I believe we were the first couple to take advantage of the trade...it had just started and we were the only ones on the van. In any event, we then tried CN as a destination and personally fell in love all over again. Bottom line, take advantage of an opportunity to see another star in the sky of Couples Resorts. They are all wonderful, but some more wonderful than others for you!!! CN in December.

Our first trip to Couples back in 2002 was to CN. For our second trip the following year we split between CSA and CN - starting with CSA. We loved it so much, we didn't want to leave, but couldn't stay because CSA was full. So we've been back to CSA 5 more times and once to CSS. As other folks have said, don't plan too much in advance. Once you get there, you'll feel you're in paradise. The one thing that CN has that CSA does not is a nude beach. In our opionion, it's actually the nicest part of the beach on the property. We just got back last week from CSA and took advantage of the Trading Places at CN - we had a wonderful time reminiscing about our first trip to Couples those years ago.

We went to CN in 2009, and we are going back for our 5th anniversary in 2014. We loved CN and are really looking forward to going back!! This year, we went to CSS and met a couple that had been to CSA a couple times. They loved CSA and will go back again, but the one thing they mentioned they didn't like about CSA is that the windows don't have any glass in them, they're just shutters, so you hear everything from neighboring rooms, and they can hear you. They said they got use to it, and still love CSA for many other reasons, but they hadn't been to CN yet. Everything is centrally located a CN, as mentioned before, and if you like the layout of the resort, you may find you book at CN next time, especially if you end up wanting more privacy. I highly recommend the day trip to CN. Next time we're at CN, we've decided we'll check out CSA.

I don't think this is entirely accurate.

I'm pretty sure the only windows that don't have glass are those that are in the Atrium Suites. I was in an Oceanview Verandah Suite and there was definitely glass in those windows.

Our first trip to CN, we quickly realized we would be coming back the following year and did not do the Trading Places. We did it the following year and while I was not a fan of CSA my wife liked it. After trips 3 and 4 to CN we decided to go to CSA for our 40th anniversary and that was last year in October. So when we went to CN last year in February, we did the trading places again. Still was not a fan, but then October came and we stayed at CSA. Well.... to make a long story short this year we are going to CSA for 6 nights then going to CN for 7 nights and in 2014 we will start our twice a year journeys to Jamaica and head to CN in February (we like that time period) and CSA in October, at least 7 nights a trip. Life is good Mon!